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ESD damage
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Journal Articles
EDFA Technical Articles (2005) 7 (2): 6–12.
Published: 01 May 2005
... the widely used human body model, charged-device model, and machine model, are based on this assumption. However, as this case study proves, passivated wafers and unpackaged dies are also susceptible to ESD damage. The authors explain that although this type of failure is difficult to diagnose, they were...
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A string of failures discovered during final testing after assembly led analysts on a long search for the cause, which turned out to be an unusual form of electrostatic discharge (ESD). Most ESD impacts on ICs occur by way of the pins. Nearly all ESD models, including the widely used human body model, charged-device model, and machine model, are based on this assumption. However, as this case study proves, passivated wafers and unpackaged dies are also susceptible to ESD damage. The authors explain that although this type of failure is difficult to diagnose, they were able to pinpoint the cause using lock-in microthermography and rule out mechanical-, FIB-, and laser-induced failures, which are similar in appearance.
Journal Articles
EDFA Technical Articles (2000) 2 (2): 23–24.
Published: 01 May 2000
... to the materials in question. Physically, EOS failures have gross damage with cracked passivation, melted metal lines, and carbonized bond pads (Fig. 1, 2). ESD damage, on the other hand, may be as subtle as minor damage on the (Continued on next page) Fig. 1: EOS damage seen under a light microscope. Notice...
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At the ISTFA ’99 event, the organizers arranged for the first time a panel discussion on failure analysis related purely to EOS/ESD issues. Each panelist presented their area of expertise followed by two hours of lively exchange with the attendees and among attendees. The panel discussed how to differentiate EOS and ESD failures. These failures are more critical with the industry move to submicron geometries and newer interconnect materials and other processing technologies, such as copper and flip-chip processing.
Journal Articles
EDFA Technical Articles (2002) 4 (3): 11–14.
Published: 01 August 2002
..., and geometry and that slight modifications can bring improvements. Copyright © ASM International® 2002 2002 ASM International electrostatic discharge ESD damage MEMS devices httpsdoi.org/10.31399/asm.edfa.2002-3.p011 EDFAAO (2002) 3:11-14 New Technology ©ASM International Electrostatic Discharge...
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This article presents the results of a study conducted at Sandia National Labs to assess the effect of electrostatic discharge on surface micromachined MEMS devices. This failure mode has largely been overlooked because ESD failure mechanisms often mimic the effects of stiction-adhesion. To measure the susceptibility of MEMS devices to ESD, Sandia engineers built and tested a silicon microengine and a torsional ratcheting microactuator. Test results indicate that the effects of ESD are highly dependent on device design, component stiffness, and geometry and that slight modifications can bring improvements.
Journal Articles
EDFA Technical Articles (2013) 15 (2): 4–13.
Published: 01 May 2013
... that result from such grossly extended initial damage may cause EOS failure signatures in many cases, as shown in Fig. 2. One should also note that in case of real ESD, such a failure signature may appear as a consequence of subsequent overcurrent in operation but was originally caused by an ESD-induced gate...
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This article discusses the primary differences between electrostatic discharge (ESD) and electrical overstress (EOS) and the circumstances under which they occur. It also explains how to differentiate ESD from EOS during failure analysis and how to avoid common misunderstandings and mistakes.
Journal Articles
EDFA Technical Articles (2022) 24 (2): 4–10.
Published: 01 May 2022
... are focused on electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage on the GaN die, as ESD damage is the most common failure mode for GaN LEDs. Failing WLEDs are de-capped (removing silicone glue and phosphor with chemicals) to examine the burn mark caused by an ESD event. By optical inspection, a tiny crack near the P...
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The failure of a white LED backlight module in a portable computer illustrates the challenges that component and system suppliers must overcome in order to determine root-cause failure mechanisms and take corrective actions that address the problem.
Journal Articles
EDFA Technical Articles (2008) 10 (1): 12–16.
Published: 01 February 2008
...] Electrostatic Discharge Damage Figure 3 shows the 3-D TEM analysis of electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage. The PTEM image indicated that the damage occurred between two contacts that were farther apart and separated by a trench, but not between the nearest contacts. Such damage revealed the current path during...
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A new and improved sample preparation technique was developed by Wang. This technique uses an FIB instrument for the 90° rotation of a small portion of the specimen on the original grid by taking advantage of static force. All sample preparation steps, including thin-section creation and sample tilting, can be accomplished in a single process. The procedure is monitored in a high-resolution FIB instrument to assure a 100% success rate. Figure 1 shows a scanning electron microscope image of a 3D TEM sample with two rotated sections. The original TEM sample is a lift-out sample laid on carbon film.
Journal Articles
EDFA Technical Articles (2008) 10 (1): 18–22.
Published: 01 February 2008
... device can be caused to fail by an ESD event. Devices that withstand 4000 V are considered very robust. A common minimum expectation for ICs is a human body model damage threshold of more than 2200 V for any combination of two pins. Devices susceptible to damage by 1000 V or less require exceptional care...
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The reliability of a component is the probability that it will perform its function under specified conditions for a specified length of time. Key considerations in defining and designing reliability tests are reviewed in this article, which also discusses the interpretation of test results.
Journal Articles
EDFA Technical Articles (2006) 8 (4): 16–24.
Published: 01 November 2006
... cause largedevice damage associated with level 4. The various failure modes and failure locations depend primarily on pulse parameters such as pulse amplitude, energy content, or rise and fall time of the pulse. For example, ESD protection structures can be activated by test pulses 3a and 3b, which...
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The susceptibility of ICs to electromagnetic interference is a growing concern for both designers and failure analysts. This article discusses the causes and effects of transient electromagnetic interference and the factors that influence electromagnetic susceptibility. It explains how to determine susceptibility based on transient pulse testing and presents and interprets the test results of three automotive ICs.
Journal Articles
EDFA Technical Articles (2019) 21 (4): 14–20.
Published: 01 November 2019
... damage was found. Considering their function, degradation of their reading distance operability had been observed before, but never total failures. Thus, the most exposed circuitry within an RFID chip suffering from field ESD or EMI damage is usually the rectifier unit, which more or less connects...
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Using the example of smart card radio frequency identification (RFID) devices, this article examines electrostatic discharge risk scenarios encountered during assembly and in the field, and outlines basic countermeasures.
Journal Articles
EDFA Technical Articles (2021) 23 (3): 4–7.
Published: 01 August 2021
... discharge can sometimes cause significant damage similar to that observed during electrostatic discharge (ESD) or electrostatic overstress (EOS) events. Some mitigation steps to reduce the effects of triboelectric charging include adjusting the flow rate of the water stream, grounding the spray nozzles...
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Integrated circuits are subjected to various forms of friction during fabrication and packaging, creating potential problems due to the buildup of charge. This article looks at the distinct characteristics of triboelectric charging damage on silicon-on-insulator devices at the wafer and package level. Telltale signs of this type of damage include spatial dependency, distinct TIVA-signal patterns, and bimodal static current distributions with significant changes after burn-in.
Journal Articles
EDFA Technical Articles (2005) 7 (3): 39–44.
Published: 01 August 2005
... using a sandblasting process, and virtually 100% failed. The assembly plant, fearing that electrostatic discharge (ESD) may be a problem, had mounted the part in sockets, with all leads grounded to prevent ESD damage during the operation. Nevertheless, they all failed. Here again, the failures recovered...
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A guest columnist shares some of the lessons learned in the course of his career. The wisdom contained in these lessons can be summed up as follows: look at the problem from different perspectives, believe the data, and don’t give up too soon.
Journal Articles
EDFA Technical Articles (2018) 20 (4): 16–22.
Published: 01 November 2018
... each carbon commutator contact to GND or between the carbon contact pieces. Similar to ESD, not every inductive pulse will immediately kill the device. Usually, it will take a certain amount of time until latent damage becomes an evident failure. CONCLUSION This article highlights some of the most...
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Automotive electronics are exposed to mechanical shock and vibration, thermal cycling, chemical attack, current and voltage spikes, electromagnetic interference, and other hazards. Early life failures, which are not uncommon, can be difficult to diagnose due to the many contributing factors. This article provides an overview of automotive electronic failures and presents guidelines for determining the root cause.
Journal Articles
EDFA Technical Articles (2016) 18 (2): 48–49.
Published: 01 May 2016
...Bill Ross This master FA column introduces a decapsulation technique that eliminates the need for drilling as well as the potential for mechanical damage and ESD. It is also faster than the traditional approach. Copyright © ASM International® 2016 2016 ASM International decapsulation...
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This master FA column introduces a decapsulation technique that eliminates the need for drilling as well as the potential for mechanical damage and ESD. It is also faster than the traditional approach.
Journal Articles
EDFA Technical Articles (2001) 3 (1): 20–23.
Published: 01 February 2001
..., in fact, it has several light emission mechanisms that have proven useful in electron microscopy. One such mechanism, avalanche luminescence, occurs in junctions during reverse breakdown and is useful for resolving low breakdown voltage and problems with ESD protection circuits. Other light emission...
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This article discusses some of the early uses of emission microscopy in semiconductor device failure analysis and the challenges that were overcome to make it the invaluable tool it is today. One of the impediments early on was a misconception that silicon cannot emit light when, in fact, it has several light emission mechanisms that have proven useful in electron microscopy. One such mechanism, avalanche luminescence, occurs in junctions during reverse breakdown and is useful for resolving low breakdown voltage and problems with ESD protection circuits. Other light emission mechanisms discussed in the article include forward bias emission, MOS transistor saturation, and dielectric luminescence, which is used to examine oxide test structures and detect oxide defects.
Journal Articles
EDFA Technical Articles (2004) 6 (3): 20–30.
Published: 01 August 2004
... spikes due to transmission line reflections. The external causes are generally one of the following: bad supply voltage regulation; radiation effects, such as x-rays and cosmic rays; and electrostatic discharge (ESD) at the I/O interfaces (cable discharge) with injection of majority/minority carriers...
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Latchup has long been a concern for CMOS technologies and is becoming more of an issue with the reduction of transistor dimensions and spacing. Although many techniques for avoiding the risk of latchup have been developed, they generally apply to specific technologies and are not portable to others. In light of the problem, IBM engineers conducted an in-depth evaluation of the structures most sensitive to latchup ignition and the many possible triggering mechanisms. In this article, they describe the work they performed along with the findings and provide practical guidelines on how to minimize latchup regardless of the IC technology involved.
Journal Articles
EDFA Technical Articles (2016) 18 (1): 4–12.
Published: 01 February 2016
... the polysilicon and gate oxide layers to expose active silicon for SEM inspection. No silicon damage (indicative of ESD damage) was observed, and no wafer fab defect (such as micromasking or a silicon topography issue) was identified. Low-acceleration-voltage PVC was performed to provide different contrast...
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Silicon pipeline defects are a growing concern in semiconductor manufacturing with no proposed methodology on how to effectively analyze them and separate the underlying causes. In light of this need, a study was conducted using complementary FA techniques to examine these unusual silicon crystal defects and gain a better understanding of their signature characteristics and their effect on device failure. This article, authored by the lead investigator, describes the tests that were performed and presents relevant findings and theories on the factors that contribute to "pipeline" and how they can be controlled. It also presents guidelines for distinguishing between pipeline and dislocation defects and explains how they are related.
Journal Articles
EDFA Technical Articles (2005) 7 (4): 16–22.
Published: 01 November 2005
... Electrostatic discharge (ESD) and electrical overstress (EOS) are still the most widely reported IC failure mechanisms. The typical scenario is that an OEM has a board with a bad IC on it Electrostatic discharge (ESD) (verified by the re- and electrical overstress (EOS) placement of the are still the most...
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This article presents best practices and procedures for analyzing printed circuit board assembly failures. It discusses the role of electrostatic discharge and electrical overstress, the increasing complexity of ball grid arrays and buried vias, the challenges associated with lead-free solder processes, and the problems caused by counterfeit components flowing into our supply lines. It also includes a summary of the tools available to failure analysts and how they are best put to use
Journal Articles
EDFA Technical Articles (1999) 1 (4): 4–26.
Published: 01 November 1999
... in the discharge path was the MPI47 PMOS drain to well junction. A large voltage gradient, or field, exists between the PMOS drain ofMPI47 and its gate (MIDDVDD), which is sufficient to damage the gate before drain to well junction breakdown. TIns type of charged device model ESD failure is rare, but can happen...
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Techniques used by failure analysts to provide proper stimuli to diagnose failures in mixed-signal ICs differ from routine digital IC tester stimuli. Mixed-signal parts not only require vector stimulus (i.e., set timing and frequency base), but also analog output sense signals, which are classified by differences in magnitude, frequency, and current. This article explains how a mixed-signal ASIC was analyzed using various signal stimuli.
Journal Articles
EDFA Technical Articles (2003) 5 (3): 23–28.
Published: 01 August 2003
... 1) Gate oxide damage to one of the input MOS transistors 2) Damage to the ESD structure of the failing input can look like an IIB failure Bipolar op-amp 1) Base-emitter junction damage 2) The of one of the input transistors is too low ( = Ic/Ib) The compensation network may be damaged due to 1...
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This article provides a high level overview of high speed analog circuits and associated failure analysis techniques. It discusses the failure modes and mechanisms of voltage reference circuits, high speed op amps, and digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital converters, the fundamental building blocks used to create high speed analog devices. It also explains how to deal with difficulties involving circuit node access, circuit loading, and performance.
Journal Articles
EDFA Technical Articles (1999) 1 (3): 19–30.
Published: 01 August 1999
... for their support in performing the various experiments and for their valuable discussions and sharing of data. References 1. 1. Colvin, EOS/ESD Symposium Proceedings, 1990, p.173-l76. dl PRODUCT NEWS NEOCERA INC. The MAGMA-Cl Scanning Magnetic Microscope is the first failure analysis tool to offer nondestructive...
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Passive voltage contrast (PVC) has traditionally been used by semiconductor engineers for end-of-line post-mortem analysis. PVC distinguishes between open and short structures and is both nondestructive and noncontact. When applied during process development for in-line characterization, it allows wafers to be examined at multiple points, where electrical probing might not be feasible. This provides feedback on the cumulative effect of the process on critical parameters such as oxide integrity and can reduce development cycle times because wafers do not have to be deprocessed in order to determine the exact location of failures. Two case studies are presented in this article, demonstrating the use of PVC in a process development environment.
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